Levels of Lucidity

There are no set classifications on what the levels of lucidity are. But by all means, it is not as simple as; you are either lucid or you are not. It is more of a continua with the two outmost extremeties being Totally lucid~Non Lucid

To be Non-Lucid is to be totally unaware that you are dreaming and react to dream characters and situations as though they are real. Dreams seem real to you here and if for example, someone pushes you - you will fall, becuase that is what you expect and what will happen. Although your fall may include some bizare twist like you fell back into a cavern of ice... but because you are non lucid, this consequence will be accepable to you and you ill carry on dreaming unaware.

To be Totally Lucid is to be fully aware that you are dreaming, reactions to dream characters and situations are thought out and logical. If someone pushes you in a dream now, you are totally aware that this is a dream and the only consequences arent for you to fall flat on your back. You could if you wanted grab the person for pushing you and throw then into space or just completely ingore the fact that you are being pushed. The reactions to the pushing and based on what you want to do, not what your subconscience thinks will happen.


(Click on picture for larger view, opens in new window... close the new window to return back here.)


Whilst you are lucid, you will be somewhere on this continua, the higher you are on the scale the more contol you can have over your dream and the more fun you will tend to have becuase of the increase of realism. There are ways to increase lucidity, if you become lucid at a low level of awareness you are not stuck there, but you may find it difficult to remember to try and increase your lucidity. The methods you can use to gain more control and awareness are explained in this section: Dream control and maintainance. Read through it once you have started having your lucid dreams.

Remember though that as well as being able to increase your lucidity you are also able to lower it or lose it completely. This is the total opposite of what you want, or at least i think it should be. you can lose your lucidity by becoming too exited in your dream causing you to wake up, or by not paying enough attention to maintaining the dream world, in which case you could become obssessed with the dream story and forget you are lucid and carry on with the dream again, or the dream world could just totally evaporate and you may wake up. These negative effects are usually brought on becuase you are new and inexperienced to lucid dreaming, in which your only option is practice and time, or because you are getting too exited or wrapped up in doing one thing.

If you are trying to fly in a dream and you are songle mindidly concentrating on one thing, or you have just figured it out and are really really exited, you may find your lucidity slipping... the dream may begin to fade or you will not have as much control in your abilities as you did. If this happens just try to slow down. Look at your suuroundings and assure yourself you are still in a dream. Maybe by doing another reality check just to make sure. Eventually you will pick it up yourslef afetr being in a few lucid dreams and seeing what things have negative and positive affects on your lucidity personally.

Guides
lucid dreaming guide
Tools
lucid dreaming guide